Suspicious men in dark coats came out from the greens one by one, blades drawn. Their faces were blank under the hoods.
Eli's instincts kicked in before his mind could catch up. He slid his hand toward the hilt and stepped beside Juli.
The count climbed quickly. Five, then eight, then well over a dozen, with more still pushing through the bushes with menacing steps.
Soon enough, a ring closed around them at the mouth of the labyrinth.
'Shit. Fuck! Where the hell did these guys come from!? How the hell did they know we're here!?'
Eli had been careful on his way to this place, checking every minute with his superior intuition. He realized intuition wasn't a predator's sense that could catch suspicious movement from a mile away. Only those who truly mastered the art of combat could develop something called sixth sense.
He swept the trees again just to be sure. Twelve in plain sight, and at least three or four more hiding in the distance, shifting behind the thick greens.
